Texas Galveston County Redistricting Challenge (DOJ)

Lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against Galveston County, Texas, over how new districts for its Commissioners Court are drawn. Following the release of 2020 census data, the four districts for the Commissioners Court had to be redrawn. The DOJ argues that the map drawers intentionally chose a plan that creates four districts that are predominantly white, denying Black and Hispanic voters the ability to elect candidates of their choice in any district. The lawsuit alleges that this map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by intentionally denying or abridging the right to vote based on race. The DOJ asks the court to block the commissioner court map for the county and order the creation of a new map that complies with federal law.

The case was consolidated with two others challenging Galveston County’s redistricting plans; the lead case where future filings can be found is Petteway v. Galveston County.

Last updated: July 15, 2022 12:31 pm EST